The biggest shake-up in bus services for 20 years is about to hit the Tees Valley, the Gazette can reveal today.

Arriva, one of the area's leading bus service operators, is changing its entire bus network from the end of April.

It will mean major changes across Middlesbrough, Stockton, North Yorkshire, Redcar and East Cleveland, Hartlepool, Darlington and County Durham.

Bus bosses say it will benefit the majority of bus users.

There will be more buses on popular routes and, for the first time in seven years, most Arriva buses will pick up passengers in Middlesbrough bus station.

However, some routes that are not profitable will be slashed.

East Cleveland is expected to be one of the areas hardest hit by the changes and the plans have already prompted a furious response from Redcar and Cleveland Council.

The shake-up is based on commercial reasons.

Six routes are to be slashed from the 160 currently operated.

Liz Esnouf, Arriva's commercial director, insisted it will herald a major change for bus users. She said: "We have done this to make it easier and better for the majority of people.

"The vast majority of people should see an improvement.

"However, there will be individuals for which their travel patterns will change."

Bus bosses say the shake-up comes in response to changes in populations, where people are employed and how they spend their spare time.

Congestion on main routes has also forced the revamp.

Ms Esnouf said: "The bus network has not fundamentally changed since 1985.

"People's habits have changed since then. We have had to look at population, employment and where people go for leisure.

"We want to give more opportunity for people to travel by bus."

Redcar and Cleveland Council chiefs are not convinced and are set to announce an emergency motion in a meeting on Thursday because of the wide-ranging impact of the plans on residents.

Cllr Eric Empson, cabinet member for strategic planning, development and infrastructure, said: "The council members haven't have had any indication or any consultation with Arriva on this and that has rankled with members.

"Our members would like to see how it's going to affect their constituents.

"It's been very badly handled by Arriva."

Affected areas are understood to include Saltburn, Lazenby and Grangetown.

Cllr Keith Pudney, who represents Guisborough and is a regular user of Arriva bus services, has seen the proposals.

He told the Gazette: "I think public transport should be a provision which is attractive, reliable, reasonable and get you as near as possible to your destination. Quite clearly these proposals that Arriva are putting forward don't do that.

"They are going to see people disadvantaged both in terms of the time it takes for people to do their journey, with two journeys instead of one, and in terms of increased expenditure.

"They are anything but a good thing."

Cllr Pudney added they would affect people in some of the poorest wards in the country and areas where car ownership is the lowest.